AJ Styles may have signed a new one-year extension with WWE earlier this year, but reports suggest that before putting pen to paper, he was exploring opportunities outside the company.

The 48-year-old veteran, whose current deal is believed to run through February 2026, sparked plenty of discussion last week after a cryptic Instagram post featuring an hourglass. The post led to speculation that Styles could be hinting at retirement or addressing his WWE status. The conversation only deepened when one of Styles’ sons supported a comment criticizing Paul “Triple H” Levesque for allegedly “disrespecting” him in the company.

According to Jon Alba of The Takedown on SI, Styles had shown interest in the convention circuit prior to re-signing, with promoters equally eager to bring him in. While there is no indication Styles pursued wrestling for other promotions, the mutual interest in appearances outside WWE was described as genuine and exploratory.

Styles is set to compete on Raw tonight against El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser), a clash stemming from last week when Americano interfered and cost Styles an Intercontinental Championship opportunity against Dominik Mysterio.

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